ISO UPDATE TO the TBT committee

INFORMATION PROVIDED BY THE international organization for standardization
(ISO)

This document contains information provided by ISO at the TBT Committee meeting of 5‑7 June 2024 under Agenda Item 7 (Update by Observers).

_______________

1.1.  ISO would like to thank the WTO TBT for the opportunity to provide an update on ISO activities.

1.2.  Building on the momentum from ISO's successful participation in COP 28, ISO has initiated its COP 29 Climate Conference participation with a co-owned Standards Pavilion with relevant partners, who will bring their knowledge and mobilize their community. ISO's core objective is to emphasize the role of international standards in accelerating effective and credible climate action. ISO is aiming to create a platform to foster collaboration and deepen stakeholder engagement for a more sustainable future through the Standards Pavilion.

1.3.  On 22 May 2024, ISO released a comprehensive suite of standards on Circular Economy. Developed with the expertise of professionals from 75 countries, these groundbreaking standards provide a complete toolkit for achieving Circular Economy, covering everything from principles to measurement. The ISO 59004 helps to understand the principles of circular economy. ISO 59010 provides guidance on the benefits of transition to circular business models. ISO 59020 measures the circularity performance of organization.

1.4.  ISO recently published its first thematic ISO policy brief on combatting plastic pollution with International Standards. This comprehensive resource offers practical examples and insights into how International Standards and conformity assessment can guide effective policy design and implementation to combat plastic pollution, including trade. This document is aimed at National Standards Bodies (NSBs), to support them in their engagement with policymakers and regulators in the ministries of environment and trade. This policy brief offers a global perspective on the importance of addressing plastic pollution as a key policy issue. It outlines how governments are tackling this challenge at the international, regional and national levels. Key topics include recycling, waste management and ecolabelling, and the critical role that International Standards and NSBs play in supporting policy responses in these areas. Real-world examples highlight how standards have been integrated into successful national policies. The policy brief was launched in line with efforts led by UNEP to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution (INC‑4).

1.5.  Since February, WTO has coordinated three virtual meetings with a small group of signatories to the Steel Standard Principles, to discuss the implementation of Steel Standard Principles. ISO has been represented by the ISO Central Secretariat and Committee Manager of TC 17/SC21. A fourth in-person meeting will be held in Brussels in June. The work forward will build on a mapping made by World Steel Association. The target is to present progress at COP29.

1.6.  Within the framework of the ISO Standards and Public Policy Programme, ISO will deliver its first regional policy workshop in June 2024 in Pretoria, South Africa. The workshop will convene 10 African countries, with each national delegation comprising of 3 representatives from the NSBs, Ministry of Trade and Ministry of Environment. The three-day workshop aims to increase the awareness of stakeholders on the role of international standards in support of trade policy objectives and to enable greater regulatory collaboration, focusing on the environment. The WTO will participate in the workshop, and we will have guest speakers from the AfCFTA, AU and ARSO.

1.7.  Since 2022, ISO has had a dedicated programme aimed at 10 Least Developing Country (LDC) members. On 22 May 2024, ISO and the WTO successfully delivered a training for the Ethiopian Standards Institute (IES) on the TBT Agreement and ePing to support their accession process.

1.8.  ISO's committee on conformity assessment (CASCO) organized the 38th CASCO Plenary and Regional Workshop on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) from 23 to 26 April 2024. CASCO responsible for developing policy and publishing standards related to conformity assessment. ISO supported 14 developing to participate in the CASCO. The 38th CASCO Plenary offered participants an opportunity keep abreast of the most recent developments of the Committee's work contributing to advancing conformity assessment practices both within Africa and globally. It also served as a platform to share insights, exchange knowledge and engage in collaborative endeavours. The regional workshop focused on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), particularly on the role of conformity assessment in ensuring that products and services traded within the AfCFTA comply with agreed-upon standards and regulations, thus facilitating smooth trade flows and ensuring consumer safety and confidence.

1.9.  ISO, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and GIZ will host a panel session at the upcoming WTO Aid4Trade review titled: Sustainability standards: An engine for trade, scheduled to take place on 26 June at 17:00. This session will discuss sustainability standards and certification and their impact on trade, sustainability and regulation. It will highlight the benefits and some of the barriers exporters face in realising the potential of sustainability standards. It will illustrate the efforts of the ISO community to build trust in sustainability claims, and provide practical examples of how ISO and GLOBALG.A.P are supporting developing countries to use international standards, and how Germany, through its Alliance for Product Quality in Africa, is supporting SMEs to certify to regional and international standards to facilitate trade. For more information see: WTO | Programme - Global Review of Aid for Trade 2024.

1.10.  The ISO Annual Meeting 2024 will take place on 9-13 September 2024 in Cartagena de Indias, hosted by ICONTEC, ISO's member in Colombia. Shaped around the overarching theme "Breaking boundaries", this one-of-a-kind event convenes experts and leaders from the ISO community as well as an impressive range of government, industry and civil society representatives to share their thoughts on some of today's most important issues.

1.11.  What you can expect:

·_        Take part in a dynamic programme of interactive sessions, engaging workshops and lively debate.

·_        Gain insights on the most pressing global trends and challenges affecting the world today.

·_        Actively challenge the status quo and incorporate new and diverse perspectives to drive sustainable and meaningful progress.

·_        Explore the transformative power of standards and their role in advancing the global sustainable development agenda.

1.12.  If you are interested, follow this registration link and use code par224! to complete your registration.

1.13.  We invite you join us for a series of international workshops to develop ISO ESG implementation principles. These guidelines are meant to complement existing standards and disclosure frameworks. They will give organizations of all types a harmonized approach to managing and measuring ESG performance. The workshops are open to anyone with ESG expertise and all interested parties with relevant experience, including industry experts, government agencies, academic institutions, NGOs, and end users like small businesses and medium enterprises.

1.14.  The workshops will take place between July and September. The first two are open for registration:

·_        Workshop 1 (virtual): 8 July 2024, 11:00 – 14:30 UTC

·_        Workshop 2 (virtual): 10 July 2024, 18:00 – 21:30 UTC

1.15.  Registered participants will receive draft documents for review and comment before the workshops. If you are interested, you may register now on BSI's website.

__________